Bouncy Castle wrote:You should have posted the offending pictures back to the cab company manager(s), with an explanatory note.

He'd have never lived it down with is co-workers!

What a brilliant idea! I had enough trouble finding the taxi firm the next morning without remembering the name of it... then again Bouncy.... I could have just sent them to every taxi company in York!

Oh before the days of internet googling.... damn!

The Collective Brain: The synoptic serendipity that comes when interesting thoughts from interesting and interested people get together. And the whole is always more than the sum of its parts.

Ah, this is embarrasing but when I was a teen and a Red Dwarf fan I seriously thought that "smeg" was real-world slang used in the UK. I also first heard someone use the word "cracking" for the first time...when I was 19.

The more popular British swears known in America (but not used. Only the F and S words) is bollocks, poofter, Yank (when said a certain way) and wanker. Any others didn't quite make it through the cultural gap.

Of course there is a good chance all of these swears are used ironically now if at all and just highlight how little I know about worldly cursing.

The news is all about waiting for Cyclone Yasi to hit... You KNOW its bad when the locals rush to the airport to fly out right?
The government got every spare plane they could to get tourists out but they couldn't force them. They made it really clear there was a small window to get out before the airports would close because although the cyclone was well out to sea (the eye) the winds are bad up to 1000 klms away.

The streets of Cairns are practically deserted as locals bunker down or are in evac centers that are rated for category 5. So the only people who were out and about today were reporters and tourists who were staying.... as they basicaly have nothing to do but get back to the hotel when the winds come.... and when the interview I saw was broadcast, it was a few hours ago... the city looked lovely... gorgeous day, sunny. Its a different story as I type and tonight is when the epicenter reaches them.

Please understand this was NOT a set up... it was a live broasdcast as the reporter was walking down the street.

English Couple (looking concerned)
We just didn't realise it was going to be this bad but its too late to leave now. The hotel is wonderful. They are rated for Catergory 5 and if it all goes really bad, they have bunkers for us. I guess we have a better idea of how bad this is going to be because the evac centers have filled so the hotel has opened thier doors to locals and we have meet alot of lovely but scared people. I asked the Hotel Manager if we meet any other locals today that feels threathened, can we ask them to take shelter in our room? He said that was fine but to just let him know. So we have just come out to see if anyone is about that doesn't realise the hotel is offering refuge.

American Tour Operator(grin from ear to ear)
Nope. Never had any intention of leaving. I have advised our tour that we are in a Catergory 5 hotel and we have bunkers. Actually we are really excited about this cyclone coming tonight. They say its way more powerful than Cyclone Tracy and that the city could be totally wiped out. The management have given us all instructions about how to prepare but I have made sure we all have our cameras powered up before it hits.... We can't wait to get out in the streets tomorrow; thats what we are really looking forward to... and get some pictures of the killer storm to show our friends at home. This is going to be the highlight of our holiday.

Now .... exactly what do you see wrong with any of this..... words fail me they really do... it left the reporter a bit shell shocked too.

The Collective Brain: The synoptic serendipity that comes when interesting thoughts from interesting and interested people get together. And the whole is always more than the sum of its parts.

Its not near me Tony... although this is so big the weather will reach us.
Watching the news.... Some of the shelters with hundreds of people in them aren't rated for Cat 5. OMG! But they are more worried about the 20 ft storm surge... and the water is more dangerous than the wind they are saying. Cat 5. Thats ground scouring. The Premier told the locals to grab the kids, don't stop to take anything and get to the centers. (This isn't a woman who panics).

I lived up there for ten years. People (the locals) get prepared quietly and take it as it comes, but I have never seen people openly scared like this.

Have been on the phone all day. My g/f was trying to get her husbands family to take this seriously for the last three days (they wanted to stay for the animals) and at least send the kids down to her here... (she inherited $100,000 a month ago and bawked at the airfairs!) Now its too late and the stupid woman was just on the phone crying that its too late to get to a center, and she finally realises there is nothing she CAN do for the animals, and they and the children are in serious danger. Poor Eve is beside herself. And there won't be any news for ages, maybe days once the power and phones go out.

Don't you just want to whack some people sometimes!!!! I mean really really really whack them.

The Collective Brain: The synoptic serendipity that comes when interesting thoughts from interesting and interested people get together. And the whole is always more than the sum of its parts.

deldaisy wrote:American Tour Operator(grin from ear to ear)Nope. Never had any intention of leaving. I have advised our tour that we are in a Catergory 5 hotel and we have bunkers. Actually we are really excited about this cyclone coming tonight. They say its way more powerful than Cyclone Tracy and that the city could be totally wiped out. The management have given us all instructions about how to prepare but I have made sure we all have our cameras powered up before it hits.... We can't wait to get out in the streets tomorrow; thats what we are really looking forward to... and get some pictures of the killer storm to show our friends at home. This is going to be the highlight of our holiday.

Got no problem with American tourists-dad was a London cabbie for 30 plus years and they paid for my education and put the shirt on my back and the food on our table (sausage inna bun Sir...? )
ATB
Nick